Join us this Wednesday, October 29th at 7 PM at Smokey’s Basement BBQ, 220 S. Main Street in Crown Point, IN for a 3 mile fun run to benefit the Humane Society Calumet Area. Please bring a monetary donation ($5 or more) and/or a jar of peanut butter (they use to fill kongs for the dogs). Run thru a haunted cemetery & more! Costume contests with prizes. Treats for everyone. Food available after the run for a separate charge (not included). Wednesdays feature $2 beers and 50 cent smoked wings.

Blast off with the Space Race 5KRun & 2K Walk this Sunday, Sept. 21st at 9 am at the Challenger Learning Center of Northwest Indiana on the campus of Purdue Calumet. This timed, competitive 5K race features race awards personally signed by Space Shuttle astronaut Jerry Ross. The biggest prize, however, is the Family Science Night that will be awarded to the school that has the most participants. Participants can indicate their school on their entry from. After the race, their will be space simulator tours, laser light shows and activities for the kids. You can also get your photo taken with the many Star Wars characters who will be in attendance. This event benefits the Challenger Center which offers simulated space missions to local students. These missions help reinforce the math and science skills they learn in the classroom as well as expose them to tehnology and engineering. Cost for the race is $18 for adults and $12 for kids ages 12 & under. Shirts will be sold at an additional cost of $10. For more information and to register, please visit HometownHappenings.net

Over 40 costumed superheroes from all over the Chicagoland area will be leaping over tall buildings and flying into Crown Point, IN to help out at the 2nd Annual Hometown Happenings “Kids in Capes” Walk/Run. This non-timed, non-competitive fun run will be held Saturday, Sept, 6th at 4 PM at the Lake County Fairgrounds. Registration begins at 3:00 PM. Cost is $18 for adults and $12 for kids ages 12 and under. A limited number of shirts will be available for an extra cost of $10.

Both kids and their parents will have the opportunity to test their superhero skills at various stations along the course. One station features grappling hooks similar to what a caped crusader might use that participants can throw at targets. There will also be villains lurking around the course for superhero participants to fight. “I want this to feel like kids are walking into a giant comic book,” says event organizer Tim Fealy of Hometown Happenings. “It’s also important that the parents do the activities with the kids so it is truly a family event. I want the families who come to leave with great family memories of the time they spent together.” Fealy adds.

After the fun on the course, particpants will return to the “Hall of Heroes” to receive their Superhero certificates of achievement from Superman himself. There will also be DJ music from DJ Donnie and food provided by Carriage Court Pizza..

Another exciting feature of the event is that participants can vote for a favorite local children’s organization or school. The organizations or schools with the most votes will share in the proceeds from the event.

As many of you know, Hometown Happenings is about community events. We never involve ourselves in political issues. It’s not what we do. But, this was brought to our attention by a good friend and we felt it was too important to ignore. So, part of the focus of our upcoming Walk a Mile in Her Heels event will be to bring attention to ending the 5 year statute of limitations on sexual assault in Indiana.

Why is this important? For an answer, I asked sexual assault survivor and advocate Joy Evans Ryder. Her petition to end the statute of limitations already has 3,000 signatures. Please consider adding your name as well to the petition.

Why Does it Matter?

Sexual abuse is at epidemic levels. Every two minutes, another person reports being sexually assaulted. 17.3% of Indiana 9th-12th grade females reported forced sexual assault compared to 10.5% nationwide. Over 500,000 women in Indiana are raped annually. Fear, false shame, humiliation, reprisal and blame cause many victims to take a long time in coming forward, if at all. When they finally do feel capable and strong enough, they realize their statute of limitations re-victimize them. Why should TIME be one of the barriers victims face in order to find justice for crimes committed against them?

The enormous impact of rape isn’t limited to five years, or seven years or even ten. Rape is violent and traumatic. Most rapists are serial offenders. By eliminating the statute of limitations for rape and sexual battery, we stand a greater chance of catching and prosecuting to the fullest extent possible criminals whohave committed multiple crimes, thus promoting justice for numerous victims and making our communities safer in the process.

Is the law protecting the wrong person? Does the SOL actually favor abusers over victims? The clock needs to stop for offenders, NOT victims! The SOL tells victims and communities ‘it doesn’t matter anymore. Your time’s run out.’ When the SOL runs out for a victim, it’s actually freedom for the abuser, while the victim is in a life-long prison of suffering. Survivors need justice and healing no matter how long it takes! Help to eliminate the Statute of Limitations in Indiana!